For Year 12 students, final exams are getting closer and applications for university and other courses are opening. So naturally, conversations at home and with wider family and friends are turning to what’s going to happen next year.

Some young people will not have an answer yet when asked, “what are you doing next year?” This can really worry parents.

But not having a fully-formed plan in Year 12 is not a failure. For many young people, it is a normal part of moving from school into the next stage of life.

What can parents and other family members say to help – and not further increase stress on – young people at this time?

Read more: Help! I’m almost finished school but don’t know what I want to do next

Many young people are uncertain

Large international studies have shown career uncertainty is common for teenagers, and has only increased in recent years.

This increase could be due to inadequate career guidance, and the jobs market becoming more complex and uncertain.

Another part of the problem is post-school decisions are often talked about as if they are one giant choice about a young person’s whole future. In reality, they are usually a series of smaller........

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